Save Article

At French Utility,
Union Wages War
To Guard Its Perks

Plan to Privatize Giant EDF
Spotlights a Costly Bloat
In Europe's Public Sector

By

John Carreyrou Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated May 10, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

PARIS -- Last June 15, two masked men marched up to French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's private home in western France, removed the electric meter and cut off the power.

They weren't vandals or robbers. They were employees of Electricit&eacute; de France SA, protesting the government's decision to sell as much as 30% of the giant state-owned power utility on the stock market this year.